The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
Foreign mercenaries, who reportedly fought for Russia in Ukraine and were captured by Ukrainian troops, participated in the press conference on March 15, 2024, in Kyiv. (Screenshot from the recording on Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform YouTube channel)
The Sri Lankan government will be sending a delegation to Russia to identify and repatriate its citizens fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, Reuters reported on May 16.
According to reports, a top official in the Sri Lankan government stated that the government will send a delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of nationals reportedly fighting in the war in Ukraine.
Social media campaigns operating on WhatsApp have targeted ex-military personnel in Sri Lanka, promising lucrative salaries and Russian citizenship to fight in Ukraine on Russia's behalf. The country's Defense Ministry warned its citizens not to be duped.
Online agents obtain the numbers of former servicemen in Sri Lanka and then arrange flights as well as documentation to bring them to Russia.
The campaign is especially successful in Sri Lanka, where the economy continues to struggle with the aftermath of the worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. Reuters reports that poverty rates have more than doubled since pre-pandemic levels, pushing hundreds of people to migrate.
Sri Lanka's government launched an investigation earlier this month into reports of Sri Lankan nationals with military backgrounds being trafficked to fight in Ukraine.
"The primary challenge lies in determining the exact number of individuals in Russia. As per unofficial sources, approximately 600-800 Sri Lankan individuals are in Russia," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya told reporters.
Sri Lanka has received over 288 complaints from families of nationals who have reportedly left the country to fight in Ukraine. The authorities have arrested seven people, including a retired general, in connection with the human trafficking scheme.
At least 16 Sri Lankan nationals have died fighting in Ukraine.
Russia has been recruiting foreigners from such countries as Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and others to fight in Ukraine from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Earlier this year, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced that Russia increasingly involves foreign mercenaries from countries with a "difficult economic situation" to fight in Ukraine.
According to the Geneva Conventions, mercenaries do not have the right to be combatants or prisoners at war and mercenary activity must be considered a crime.
Earlier in January, Nepal halted issuing foreign work permits for its citizens to work in Russia until further notice after growing numbers of Nepalese mercenaries have been reported killed fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine.
At least 10 Nepalis have been confirmed killed while serving in the Russian Armed Forces, and as many as 200 are estimated to be fighting for Russia as of January, according to Nepal's government.
Nate Ostiller
